How Canada responds to Syrian refugees

The CCR welcomed the announcement in early January that Canada will resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next 3 years.

A number of questions and concerns remain following this announcement. We look forward to hearing how the government responds to calls for increased Canadian leadership and flexibility for refugees fleeing Syria and seeking protection in Canada.

In particular:

Are the numbers of Syrian refugees to be resettled to Canada over and above existing Canadian commitments? (The CCR has since heard from the Minister that they are not).

Will refugees selected for resettlement be chosen on the basis of need and without discrimination on the basis of religion? (The Minister’s response on this is ambiguous.)

Will the government introduce special measures for Syrians with family in Canada? (The Minister says Family Class applications are processed on a priority basis and that Temporary Resident Permits are issued “as appropriate”).

If you share these questions and concerns, write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and urge the government do more to assist refugees fleeing Syria, over and above commitments to other refugees, and without discrimination on the basis of religion.

The CCR has put together Seven Keys to Protecting and Welcoming Refugees and Newcomers: A vision for Canada. What do these keys mean to you and what difference would it make if they were reality?

Join us in a countdown to Refugee Rights Day (4 April 2015). Each week, we’ll highlight one of these 7 Keys. Share what each Key means to you and others in your community by:

Sharing images like this one on social media (we’ll release a new one each week)

Do you know a person or a family for whom the Key of the week could have or has made a difference? Reach out and see if they are willing to share their example with others.

The countdown to Refugee Rights Day is just the beginning. Join us in promoting and sharing these 7 Keys in the weeks and months to come!

Click here for more information on the Seven Keys to Protecting and Welcoming Refugees and Newcomers: A vision for Canada and the countdown to Refugee Rights Day

Lifting of moratoria on removals for Haiti and Zimbabwe: What to do

On 1 December, the federal government announced that it was lifting the moratoria on removals to Haiti and Zimbabwe. In lifting these measures which have been for more than a decade, the CCR and other organizations are concerned that returning people to these countries will subject them to a risk of violence and increased precariousness.

The federal government is allowing 6 months to apply for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds for people who are affected by this change. However, the CCR has proposed a more affordable, efficient and permanent solution: Create a regulatory class that provides permanent residence to Haitians, Zimbabweans and other persons from countries to which Canada does not remove who have been in Canada for three or more years.

Click here for media coverage on the lifting of the moratoria on removals for Haiti and Zimbabwe.

The future of private sponsorship of refugees in Canada

Unique in the world, Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program has allowed Canadians to offer protection and a new home to more than 225,000 refugees since 1979. Despite its historical success, the Program has been facing dramatic changes and challenges in recent years. These changes include:

New, restrictive rules limiting which refugees can be sponsored, from where and how many.

More burdensome paperwork: forms are extremely complicated and sponsors no longer have access to government officials locally to guide them.

Very slow processing, especially in certain regions of the world.

Shortcomings in government communication and consultation with sponsors

New government expectations that sponsors will resettle refugees identified by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, while the government is itself resettling fewer refugees.

Join us in recommitting to a broad, inclusive and effective refugee resettlement program. Click here for more information.

Participate in the CCR’s Winter Working Group meetings, 27 and 28 February 2015, Toronto

Do you want to be part of efforts to promote rights for refugees? Want to participate in in-depth discussions on pressing issues affecting refugees and immigrants in Canada? Looking for an opportunity to share information and strategies with others from across Canada?
Come to the CCR’s Working Group meetings in Toronto on 27 February and 28 February to contribute to ongoing discussions affecting refugees and immigrants in Canada. Participation is open to everyone interested, except for media and government representatives. There is no cost to participate and there is no need to register in advance.
The meeting schedule is: